Bryan Smock said a little girl in Fort Collins whose life was cut short by a rare disease inspired him and his wife, Kristin, to open a respite care facility in Wheat Ridge.
About 10 years ago, Bryan, now 35, worked for Respite Care Inc. and cared for Megan Rogers, who suffered from an X-chromosome disorder called Rett syndrome that often affects girls.
He said Megan couldn’t talk, walk or feed herself, but he formed a special bond with her.
“When I was holding her and talking to her, even though she couldn’t talk back to me, it felt like she was listening,” Bryan said. “I created this bond with her that I didn’t have with other kids. … She always had a special place in my heart.”
The experience led him into a special education career in the Jefferson County School District, where his wife, Kristin, 31, and her sister, Lindsey Brown, 27, also work.
The three decided they wanted to make a bigger difference in the world by helping parents of children with developmental disabilities get some time to themselves.
Last month, they opened Megan’s Place at 6175 W. 38th Ave. in Wheat Ridge.
Kristin Smock said Megan’s Place is the only respite care facility of its kind in the Denver area.
“There’s not much during the school year as far as parents being able to get a break and have a safe place for their kids to go to that can accommodate their special needs,” Smock said. “We did this to give parents a break. That’s our passion. These parents are exhausted, and most daycares don’t have the ratio or staff training to work with this population.”
One of those parents is Shannon Zimmerman, whose son Logan, 10, has autism and is hard of hearing among a myriad of other special needs.
She said the facility has given her and Logan’s grandmother a break from juggling who’s going to take care of him throughout the week.
In fact, being able to drop off Logan every day this summer and after school during the coming year means she’s been able to keep her job.
“The true test is not whether or not I like it, but if my son likes it,” Zimmerman said. “He pushed me out the door the first time he was here he liked it so much.”
Kristin Smock said for now the facility will be open after school and on weekends. Summers will be all day, and eventually one of them will quit teaching so Megan’s Place can offer year-round daytime care for prekindergarten youngsters.
They’re currently working to get approved for Medicaid and non-profit status so they can provide services to a wider range of clients.
According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, some 162,000 — or roughly 18 percent — of kids 1 to 14 in Colorado have a special health care need.
“Although families love their children and want the best for them, they need to be able to recharge, relax or just take a nap,” said Janis DeBaca, co-founder of the Colorado Respite Coalition. “Megan’s Place is important because it’s really the only one in the area with so many hours and that will take kids with all kinds of disabilities.”
Austin Briggs: 303-954-1729, abriggs@denverpost.com
Up next
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 5 p.m. Aug. 22 at Megan’s Place. The facility is at 6175 W. 38th Ave. in Wheat Ridge. For more information, call 303-881-4988.
